BARCELONA – One in ten Spanish men will develop prostate cancer, according to a study published Thursday.

But 80 percent of those suffering from the condition will be cured, if it is discovered early enough.

The study was carried out by the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC), which said each year about 6,000 Spanish men die from the condition.

In 2001, 5,659 Spaniards died from prostate cancer.

But many of these could have been saved if they had known how important it is to have regular urological tests, according to the report from AECC.

The report was compiled after speaking to 1,000 men aged between 45-69 from 16 different parts of Spain.

It found many are not well enough informed about the early checks to prevent prostate cancer.

Seventy percent of those questioned said they had suffered some of the symptoms related to this form of cancer in the last year.

But only a third had visited a doctor.

For some time, urologists have said men should go for preventive tests of the same kind as are carried out by gynaecologists on women.

It added that  eight out of ten types of prostate cancer are preventable if they are diagnosed early enough.

This type of cancer is the third biggest killer among Spanish men who suffer cancer.

The development and spread of prostate cancer is often slow and the initial symptoms are not so specific.

[EFE with Expatica]
                                                 Subject: Spanish news